We're leaving next week to attend the FFF's Southern Conclave in Mountain Home, AR. Personally I am looking forward to fishing the Little Red and White. It's been way too long since I did that. Southern Trout is a Silver Sponsor of the FFF event, which is not really a big deal, but it sounds good, eh?

As is my habit because I regard this board as my "home away from home," I tend to share more here than anywhere else. The next issue (Oct/Nov) of Southern Trout will out next week. It's slow, but we continue to grow. We are doing shows this year in Asheville, Winston-Salem, Lexington, Cincinnati, Lancaster, Pigeon Forge and Mountain Home as well as continuing to talk to TU and FFF chapter meetings and such

The drive for us now is increase the number of people signed up for free subscription to the magazine and newsletter. We’re about to top the one million mark in views at www.southerntrout.com, but the percentage of people who sign up is relatively low. To help facilitate this, beginning in October we will have a series of giveaways, the first being a new G.Loomis fly rod ticketed at $695. The contest will run Oct. 1 to Nov 15, at which time we will draw and announce the winner. Other items we will give away thereafter in similar fashion include a Ross Reel, fly lines, St. Croix fly rod, Redington fly rod, ORCA coolers, sunglasses and fishing trips to places Snowbird and Chetola lodges

You will be able to enter each time the prize changes, either on line at www.southerntrout.com, or at out booth at various shows and functions. We hope this will get us over the hump in subscribers which is a question that is always asked when I approach potential advertisers to Southern Trout.

For 2014 the plan for Southern Trout is it to continue as a bi-monthly publication. The Southern Trout Newsletter that currently goes out twice a month will become a weekly release. We still hope to launch Southern Fly Fishing in June. A bi-monthly sister publication to Southern Trout, the emphasis of its content will be warm/cool freshwater species such as bream, musky, stripers, bass and such as well as saltwater fly fishing. Who knows, I may even be dragged kicking and screaming into running something on fly fishing for crap, er I am mean carp.

Anywho, if you have read this far, please allow me to thank you for indulging me of your time and attention. As I said, I regard this board as home and therefore regard you as kin folk to be put upon. Oh yeah, one more horn toot. My book on fly patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains (Stackpole Press) was delayed for release until 2014, because I missed my deadline when I injured my leg on the Hiwassee River last year. I really look forward to its release.

09-30-2013, 06:57 AM

chechem

Godspeed.

Thanks (in advance) for posting the pics. It'll be a long winter without trout here.